


The Aftermath

by mimekaine



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-11 21:15:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19934617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mimekaine/pseuds/mimekaine
Summary: Calamity Ganon having been defeated, Hyrule rejoiced. Zelda took back the castle and began to work on rebuilding everything they'd lost and helping her people recover. Link, though, felt his purpose had been fulfilled. What was he supposed to do now? Was there even a point? He had one destiny, and that was to defeat Ganon and save Hyrule, and he already did that. He'd lost all hope for any future he could've had.At least, he felt that way until he found you.





	1. Stranger at the Door

**Author's Note:**

> A lil exposition and a first meeting. The reader lives in the house you can buy in the game in hateno btw, in case you couldn't tell.
> 
> KEY:  
> H/L - hair length  
> H/C - hair color

Cool mist dusted your cheeks as you rode along the trails you knew all too well. It was refreshing after a long day making deliveries between stables. You’d had to wake up far earlier than you normally did to make the trip all the way to Outskirt Stable, pick up the new produce, do the same up at the Riverside and Wetland Stables, then finally work your way back to Dueling Peaks Stable. Despite being somewhat tucked away behind the two twin mountains just east of it, Dueling Peaks Stable had become quite the hotspot for trading. You hadn’t seen any gorons or gerudo yet, but Hylians from all over Central Hyrule, Lanayru, Faron, and, of course, Necluda, gathered around each day to see what was in stock. You’d even heard talk from the innkeepers that the owners were considering throwing a small festival. Everyone’s mood had improved vastly over the last few months, and you guessed it had only been a matter of time before even your small Necluda community became infected with the joyous attitude Hyrule had taken on recently.

You were excited too, of course. The news of Calamity Ganon finally having been defeated would do that to anyone, you thought to yourself. You wished you could’ve been there for the initial celebration, held just in front of Hyrule Castle. You heard Princess Zelda herself had put it all together to honor the bravery of The Hero of the Wild, or whatever they called him. He was the one who had fought that final battle, after all. He was there too, apparently, but no one had gotten a good look at him. One would assume he’d want the recognition after all his struggles to save Hyrule, but he had hid in the shadows from all the guests. Odd, definitely, but maybe he was just shy. You never thought about it too much about it. You were more upset you hadn’t gotten to see Zelda. Ever since you were little, you’d heard the most amazing stories about her from the elders. She was smart, kind, and absolutely stunning. She sounded perfect in every way a woman could be. She was your role model when you were still in school; in fact, she’d inspired you to actually read the books you studied in school, rather than cheat like all the other kids. You didn’t read much anymore, but the small bit of childhood wonder left in you still idolized her.

Your horse’s whinny snapped you out of your thoughts. You looked down at your steed, a strong colt with a shining black coat and a short, tan mane that naturally stuck up into a sort of mohawk. You’d had Nyx since he was just a foal, having found him lost in the mountains in a place you didn’t think horses could even get to. That was about eight years ago, and he’d grown faster than you expected. Now he was your partner in crime, and you rode him everywhere.

Right now though, you were riding him back home. You knew you’d sleep good tonight, especially after all the heavy lifting and unloading you’d done for your employers. It was honest work though, and you were paid accordingly. You smiled, hearing the soft click of the rupees in your saddle bag rub against one another. Maybe you’d treat yourself tomorrow and make your way to Kakariko Village to buy a new outfit. Your current day-to-day wear was starting to show its age anyways.

Lost in thought, home arrived in what felt like minutes. Nyx slowed to a trot upon entering Hateno Village. You took a right and crossed the small bridge to your home, placed just across a small but deep river that made you feel much more peaceful and secluded from the rest of the busy homes. You hopped off your horse and led him to his small stall to the side of your house, almost hidden away behind it, making sure to fill his trough with some fresh water from the shed before heading inside.

Closing the door behind you, you made your way to the table in the center of the main room and lit the lantern in the center of it. Taking off your boots never felt so good, and you made sure to enjoy every second of wiggling your toes in their newfound freedom before tossing your boots by the door. You kept telling yourself to take the time to make a rack for your shoes, but with only a pair of boots and some barely-used sandals, you lacked the motivation. 

The rest of your house was down to the basics, too. The table you sat at was the main piece of furniture, placed right in the middle of the room. You had two chairs on either side of it, but sometimes that just felt like rubbing in how empty the home really was. A couple pots and pans, along with your basic dishes and cutlery were either stored at the counter-cabinet duo you’d made yourself a while ago to the left of the door or hanging on hooks next to it. It was a small prep area, but you didn’t cook much anyways, so the cooking pot outside remained mostly unused and you just ate whatever fruits or vegetables you’d brought home raw on a single plate.

The wall across from the entrance was decorated with three large frames, with a couple cushions you’d sewn yourself placed under them for you to relax on rainy days in. The frames had come with the house, and you assumed they were for hanging weapons after use, but you used them as more of a display for the exotic weapons you’d found over your travels. They were decorations to you, the forked lizal boomerang on the left and zora spear on the right. In the middle sat your favorite: the gerudo scimitar. It was the only one you’d actually saved up for, rather than finding them abandoned in old forts or lying forgotten on the sides of the lesser-travelled trails. It was a little sad to look at, watching them collect dust over the months, but it was also nice knowing you no longer needed to worry about protecting yourself.

You set your bag down on the chair next to you and got up, stretching as you carried your tired body up the old, wooden stairs to the loft area. Your desk, dressed, and bed were all up here, the desk overlooking the lower floor and the dresser across from it, facing a small window that looked down at Nyx’s stall and the pond and tree next to it. Your bed’s headboard was against the south wall of the house, the stairs being on the north. The house had come with a battered twin-sized bed, but you upgraded just a couple months ago to a larger one. It really did make all the difference, and you made sure to savor it as you took off your overshirt, bra, and pants, leaving you in just your undershirt and underwear, and rolled under the covers. You sighed in relief as your back finally relaxed. You sunk into the cushions, not even bothering to fix up your (H/L) (H/C) hair before snuggling into the pillow. The small candle in the lantern you’d lit reached the end of its lifespan, and you felt yourself drift into a deep sleep as its light finally faded.

\- -

You awoke to a thud at the door. You glanced out the window, and upon seeing that it was the dead of night and raining horrendously, your eyes widened in fear. The thud came again, and it was not friendly. It wasn’t even any sort of knocking, but more of a pounding to force the door open. The handle began to jiggle, but whoever was on the other side seemed weak. They certainly weren’t making much progress. 

That didn’t stop your heart from practically beating out of your chest, though. You looked around anxiously, eyes darting from place to place in search for anything you could find to defend yourself with. Your eyes finally focused on a letter opener sitting on your desk. You glanced at the door, then back at the letter opener. You have the higher ground, you told yourself. You can do this. Your encouragement worked for only a couple seconds, but that was all you needed to silently slip out of bed and creep towards the desk. You snatched it up into your dominant hand, shifting it to hold it like a knife. You looked back down at the door. The thudding continued for another few seconds, then abruptly stopped. Silence filled the room, save for the pitter-patter of the storm outside pelting your roof. Your heart pounded in your ears. You looked down at the letter opener, then back at the door. You hadn’t imagined that whole thing, had you? The rain started pounding a little harder on the roof right over you, almost as though Mother Nature was giving you a pitiful “yes.” You sighed.

Just as you were about to put the letter opener back down, you heard a soft noise start up again at the door. The handle rattled in place. Whoever was outside was wiggling something in the keyhole. 

Shit.

You crept down the stairs and to the door. You stood in front of it for a second, almost paralyzed with fear, before your logic kicked in again and you decided to press yourself against the wall beside the door, so that if they managed to get in you’d be behind it and have the element of surprise on your side. Adrenaline pumped through your whole body. You’d never had to fight anyone in your life. Not this seriously, anyways. You pressed further against the wall as the rattling got louder and louder, until finally, the door clicked. The noise stopped, and everything was quiet once again. Slowly, the handle turned. Your grip on the letter opener grew tighter and tighter until your knuckles were sore, but you didn’t dare loosen it. 

The door pushed open slowly, and you heard whoever it was take two steps inside. Their shoes were heavy on the wood flooring, and their clothes dripped onto the ground beneath them, leaving a puddle to grow around them. You could see the small pool of water creeping under the door onto your side of it. You held your breath.

Neither of you moved. You assumed they were having a look around. Maybe they didn’t think anyone was home. Maybe they were a robber. Maybe they did know you were home, and had followed you all the way from the Dueling Peaks Stables just to murder you in your own home-

You heard one of their feet lifting off the floor. They were coming inside. You snapped out of your thoughts and into action. Whipping around the side of the door, you held the letter opener as threateningly as possible in front of you, shouting, “Get out!” 

The figure stumbled back in surprise. They had been backlit by the moon, but when they stepped backwards, you finally got a good look at them.

And you swore to the goddesses right then and there that that was the most pitiful sight you had ever seen.


	2. In From the Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> poor guy :( would you like an egg in these trying times?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KEY:  
> Y/N - your name

Long hair clung to his pale cheeks. It looked like it would’ve been blonde, but in the soaked state it currently was, it seemed more brown than anything. His cheekbones were prominent, and after a second more of really looking at him, it seemed unnatural, like he wasn’t eating enough or something. He was tall, or at least definitely taller than you. He didn’t really intimidate you though, probably because of his miserable state. A soaked, sky blue Hylian tunic clung to his chest, as did his loose-fitted tan trousers to his legs. His dark brown boots were worn down almost to the sole, and you couldn’t help but feel bad for him. You’d hate walking in a storm wearing those things on your feet. He was probably feeling pretty damn awful at the moment.

You focused in on the small piece of metal in his hand and remembered what he had been doing just seconds earlier. You had let your hand fall a bit in examining him, but you quickly extended it again in the same threatening manner as before. Well, you tried at least, but honestly, after seeing who it was that had tried to break into your house, you were more confused than anything else.

“What are you… what were you doing?” You managed to get out. You had meant for it to be an intimidating question, but it came out as more of a genuine inquiry. You met his eyes, and for the first time, you realized how scared he looked. Your gaze drifted down to his nose and you saw that he was bleeding from his left nostril. A small, fresh cut was forming on his otherwise smooth lips. You tried your best to not show concern.

He looked at you, putting his hands up open-palmed, almost as if he was surrendering. “I… I… didn’t think anyone lived here…” His petrified stare had quickly left yours and were focused on the makeshift weapon you still held in your hands. The poor guy looked like a frightened deer.

You furrowed your brows. “Does this place really look that run down to you?”

He stuttered out a small “N-No, I just- I… I don’t know…” He looked down, almost ashamed.

You sighed, lowering your letter opener. As much as you wanted to show you couldn’t be messed with, for the wellbeing of both you and the house, this guy really did seem harmless. 

After a bit of a pause, you finally asked, “What happened to your face?”

He looked confused for a second, reaching up to feel his face. He winced as his fingered touched the cut on his lower lip. “I… ran into some Yiga.”

Your eyes widened. “Yiga? Like, the Yiga Clan?”

He nodded sadly, eyes still glued to the ground.

You had to admit, he was too pitiful to turn away. You set down the letter opener on your small kitchen counter and sighed once more in defeat, gesturing for him to come in. He looked up at you again, giving you some stupid puppydog eyes or something. It may have been dumb, but it was working. You waited for him to walk in before closing and locking the door behind you. You walked over to the bathroom under the loft and grabbed the biggest towel you had. Coming back out of the bathroom, you saw him still standing by the door, seemingly too nervous to move.

“Come sit,” you said, pointing to one of the chairs by your table. 

He hesitantly walked over to where you had pointed, but not before you draped the towel over his shoulders. You helped him down into the seat, making sure to tuck the towel under him as he sat so he wouldn’t drip too much onto the chair. He held the towel like it was his lifeline, wrapping it tight around him. He was shivering.

You grabbed one more towel and put it over the puddle he’d made at the door, then walked back to the table and took a seat across from him. His eyes were still cast down, nervously glancing around the floor. You placed a new candle in the lantern and lit it, bringing a soft glow to the room. He shivered again, and you could see his nose and cheeks were a bright pink from the cold. 

You sat like that for a good three or so minutes. The pink on his cheeks was fading to more of a rose tint, but it didn’t seem like escaping that storm had done much for him. You thought for a bit before deciding to get up and go to your dresser upstairs. He watched you go, wide-eyed, and your eyes widened too, remembering you were in just an undershirt and underwear. The undershirt was long enough to cover most of what should be covered, but you still blushed a bit, embarrassed. 

You reached into your top drawer and dug around a bit, finally settling on a large shirt and some knee-length trousers. You grabbed another pair of sleep shorts you had neglected to put on earlier out of laziness and slid them on, then made the journey back downstairs. 

He was still staring at you, and continued to do so until you finally reached the table. He looked down at his feet. You placed the shirt and trousers in front of him. “You can go change in there,” you said, pointing to the bathroom.

He gave a short, quick nod, scooped up the dry clothes, and hurried off to the bathroom. You let yourself finally relax, not having realized you were tense. You thought over what had just happened. Had you really let some stranger, possibly even a robber, into your house, and then proceeded to give him a fresh change of clothes? You huffed. Yes, yes you had. He was a pitiful stranger, and one night wouldn’t hurt, you suppose. You stifled a yawn. You were still pretty tired.

Glancing back at the now closed bathroom door, you remembered that he would need a place to sleep too. He may be a possible murderer, but you reminded yourself that hospitality knows no labels. He was now a guest in your house above all else. You huffed, moving to get the old sleeping bag out from under the stairs.

By the time he had come out of the bathroom, you had gotten the pillows against the wall and the sleeping bag, making a small, makeshift bed for him. He looked at you, still red in the face. It seemed to be a lot better now though. He looked less nervous now that he was in some modest and comfortable clothing, albeit it being sleepwear. He straightened up a bit. 

“I, uh, hung my wet clothes on the edge of the bathtub to dry.” He said. “...If that’s okay.”

You couldn’t help but smile just a bit. Even after all the awkwardness, he was still trying to remain formal.

“That’s fine,” you said. You looked to the floor next to you. “Oh, and I made you a bed for tonight. I kind of just assumed you wouldn’t be going back out into the storm.”

He nodded, a bit shyly, but still polite. “Thank you.”

You shrugged. “No problem. Just… don’t plan on staying here too long. You weren’t exactly a planned guest.”

His face went back to the shade of pink it had been before. “Of-of course. I’m sorry, really. I didn’t mean to… I thought you-you didn’t-”

You cut him off with a wave of your hand. “Just get some rest, okay? I don’t think you’re thinking straight.”

He nodded, making his way to the sleeping bag. You began walking back to the stairs to the loft and back to bed when you heard his soft voice call out, “Oh, by the way, my name is Link.”

You stopped, one hand on the railing, and looked back down at him. “My name’s (Y/N).”

He paused, then softly replied, “Thank you, (Y/N).”

You just turned back to the stairs and got back into your bed. You turned your back to the downstairs area, opting to look out of the small window instead. The rain had begun to let up, and it was making soothing drips off the side of your roof. You closed your eyes. Was this even happening? This was absurd. 

You snuggled deeper into the pillow. None of this even felt real. You’d wake up the next morning, and this “Link” guy would have never been here. Who even names their kid Link anyways? Like, a chain link fence?

Calming your thoughts, you focused on the rain again. Its pit-pat on the window slowly pulled you closer and closer to sleep, until finally you drifted off, hoping this was all some fever dream.


End file.
